Garcia makes insensitive remark about Woods

On Tuesday during a European Tour awards dinner, a TV reported jokingly asked Garcia whether he might invite Woods to dinner during the U.S. Open.

Garcia replied, "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."

Later, Garcia tried to smooth over the racially insensitive remark with a statement issued by the European Tour.

"I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner," the statement read. "I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Garcia and Woods have feuded since they played in the same group during the third round of The Players Championship on May 11. Garcia complained that Woods riled the gallery at Sawgrass when he pulled a club from his bag from across the fairway while Garcia was preparing to hit a shot.

Garcia later suggested that the world's No. 1 player should have known better. Woods countered that he thought Garcia had already hit.

"Not real surprising that he's complaining about something," Woods commented at the time.

Since then, the two players have done little to mask their feelings about one another.

: On Monday, Garcia suggested that Woods has a problem with honesty.

"He called me a whiner. That's probably right," Garcia said. "It's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he is like. You guys are finding out."

He added that he didn't plan to call Woods to discuss the matter.

"First of all, I don't have his number," Garcia said. "And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don't have anything to say to him. And he wouldn't pick up the phone, anyway."

Garcia's latest remark resembled a response by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1997 when asked what Woods would have on the menu after his won his first Masters title.

"You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve," Zoeller said.